‘Trumpocrat’ Blagojevich To Headline Event For GOP Candidate

ST. CHARLES, IL — Republican Tom McCullagh is calling on former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich to boost his bid for the Illinois State Senate.

Blagojevich, a self-proclaimed “Trumpocrat,” is set to headline an Aug. 27 fundraiser for McCullagh that’s also being billed as a celebration of President Donald Trump’s expected nomination at the Republican National Convention that night.

No Coronavirus Deaths In Kane County In Past Week: IDPH

The $150-per-plate event in St. Charles is being co-hosted by Gary and Angie Franchi, of the Next News Network, which describes itself as the first conservative news outlet on YouTube to amass 1 billion views. The event will also include a VIP cocktail reception for $300 donors, and sponsorships are available for $1,000, according to an advertisement for the fundraiser.

The location is not being announced until the day of the event for security reasons, the advertisement says.

Kane Co. Added To Watch List For New Coronavirus Restrictions

McCullagh’s campaign is promising an “intimate address” by Blagojevich ahead of Trump’s speech to accept the Republican Party’s nomination for president. The event is limited to 50 guests, though the ad says it will be broadcast online to 1.67 million viewers.

Blagojevich dubbed himself a “Trumpocrat” on his return to Chicago in February after spending nearly eight years in a Denver federal prison for felony corruption convictions. Trump commuted Blagojevich’s sentence about six years before it was set to end.

Residents Must Do More To Stop Coronavirus: Kane Co. Health Dept.

The former Democratic governor — who attempted to solicit bribes for the U.S. Senate seat left vacant President Barack Obama’s 2008 election — thanked Trump less than a day after his release during a news conference outside his home. After calling himself a “Trumpocrat,” Blagojevich lashed out at what he called a racist and broken criminal justice system.

"He's tough, he's outspoken, he gets things done, he's a problem solver," Blagojevich said of Trump in February. "He's fighting to bring real change, that's why he gets so much pushback. He's also a man with a kind heart."

Kane Co. Jail On Lockdown After 2 Test Positive For Coronavirus

Blagojevich also appeared on Trump’s reality TV show “Celebrity Apprentice” a decade ago. He was “fired’ during the fourth week of the show.

Blagojevich said he would vote for Trump in the 2020 presidential election if he’s able to get his voting rights restored in time. Illinois is one of a few states where people convicted of felonies can regain their right to vote following their release from prison.

Illinois Republican Party leaders told McCullagh that using Blagojevich to raise money for his campaign was “a bad idea,” but McCullagh defended the tactic by saying the former governor knows how to fight corruption in the state, according to a report by the Chicago Sun-Times.

St. Charles Tenants Can Apply For $5K Rent Grant Amid Pandemic

“I’m not defending him or his actions in any way,” McCullagh told the Sun-Times. “He’s been speaking out against Mike Madigan’s corruption since he got out. That’s the only reason I would involve myself with a person of such notoriety: to outline how the Madigan machine works, and how to dismantle it.”

The Sun-Times reports McCullagh’s campaign for the Illinois State Senate had less than $240 in its coffers at the end of June.

REGIONAL NEWS:

• Mobile Coronavirus Testing Lab To Make 2 Stops In Aurora
• Aurora Police Debunk Timmothy Pitzen ‘Sighting’ In YouTube Video
• Man Died After Falling From Aurora Apartment Building: Police
• Kane, DuPage Sheriffs Arrest Aurora Man On Child Porn Charges
• Killer Sent Back To Prison After Being Paroled Due To Math Error